Return to Grukup
by Cynical Classicist
Summary: The Doctor returns Kafyip to Grukup but finds the planet has been attacked by the Big Brains...


There was a wheezing groaning sound as the TARDIS materialised on the planet Grukup. The doors opened and a tall figure with a large head walked out. "Grukup at last!" he said, looking round. "So what time period are we in?" asked Norine. "Not certain" said the Doctor. "But long before your time." "Long, as in last century, or long as in BC?" asked Norine. "Thousands of years BC!" said the Doctor. Kafyip looked round the plain at the crystal mountains. "How is the return to Grukup?" asked the Doctor. Kafyip gave an excited leap. "I feel lighter" he said. "That will be the lighter gravity" replied the Doctor. "You've been getting used to higher gravity. Happened to me once when I spent two weeks in a high-gravity gym and when I got out I jumped so high I hit my head… I'm rambling." "Have you ever been to a low-gravity gym?" asked Norine. "Yes! On Mars" said the Doctor. Kafyip looked up at the crystal mountains. "I remember leaving this location a long time ago" he said. He ran back to his town but stopped, amazed at the sight.

His town was in ruins. The houses were wrecked and smoke was rising. Hundreds of Swukains were sitting around the place. Kafyip ran up. "What has happened here?" he cried anxiously. "Who are you?" asked an old Swukain. "Me? I am Kafyip" said Kafyip. "My parents were taken by the Omni-Mind." The old Swukain and a few others laughed. "The Omni-Mind? That was destroyed 82 years ago." "You got the wrong place by 112 years!" said Norine. "It's not as bad as it sounds!" said the Doctor. "Their years are… shorter than ours." "That still sounds a long time" pointed out Norine. "You can't always get things right!" said the Doctor. "At least I got us to the right planet."

"A Crop Colonist! Are you here to help?" asked a woman, running up. "Yes! I mean no!" said the Doctor. "I mean, I'm not a Crop but I'm the Doctor! Always ready to help!" "They probably only want to help themselves!" said an old Swukain. "I'm new here! How many aliens have been visiting?" asked the Doctor. "They started coming here 11 years ago, wanting to do research on our telepathic crystals. There were quite a few here, 512s of them." "512? Odd counting system!" said Norine. "I suppose from your fingers you're one of those aliens that counts in 10s!" laughed the old man. "Anyway, most left during the invasion. But there are still some here."

Kafyip was trying to make his identity known to the Swukains. "I am Kafyip. I helped defeat the Omni-Mind. It killed my parents!" he told the Swukains. "Surely you know of the Omni-Mind? I told everybody what happened!" "Everybody has heard of the Omni-Mind" said the old Swukain. "It was defeated by someone called Kafyip and a traveller from another world, after which they both disappeared. But that was too long ago for anybody then to be alive now." "I was time travelling!" said Kafyip. The old one looked at him and closed his eyes, making contact with his mind. He opened his eyes again, looking thoughtful. "You don't seem to be lying" he said. "Either you are telling the truth or you are delusional. And I doubt time travel is real."

"Beside the point!" said the Doctor. "What happened to this town? It looks ruined!" "We were attacked" said an older Swukain with a wounded arm. "A month ago by a race of demons." "How long is that in Earth months?" asked Norine. "Between two and three weeks" replied the Doctor. "What were they like? I've known a lot of interplanetary conquerors." "They called themselves the Big Brains" said the old man. Norine laughed. "Really?" "Maybe it sounds less funny in their language" said the Doctor. "They looked like us" said the old man. "But their heads were larger and their arms longer" said the old man. "With their mind they could place us under their control. There is little we can do."

Kafyip continued to look over the ruined town. "They killed my parents and my brother" said a female Swukain sadly. "That is why we must fight!" "We can't fight the Big Brains Tulbek" said the old Swukain. "They are many times more powerful than us. It would be better to live as slaves." "But you can't live like this!" said the Doctor angrily. "If you don't fight invaders they'll just walk over you! And you have the help of the one of the best Invasion Fighters for a million years and a million light years. Who's with me?"

None of the Swukain answered to this, save Tulbek. "I will fight with you!" she said. "Don't be a fool" said another Swukain. "You'll be killed! You'll all be killed!" "But we won't live in death" said Kafyip nobly. There was some murmuring among the crowd but nobody did anything. "The High Minds are South of the Mountains" said Tulbek, pointing at the mountains of telepathic crystals. "Good bracing walk!" said the Doctor happily. "Come on!" Led by Tulbek the Swukain, the Time Lord, and the human walked towards the mountain.

On the other side of the mountain was a larger town. The people, consisting of several thousand, were assembling huge heaps of telepathic crystals in a circle, overseen by the Big Brains, who hovered about on what looked like metal chairs. The Big Brains had skin similar to Swukains, but their heads were much larger, their eyes were small and rather than arms they had two bunches of four tentacles about a metre long. Among them were another people, numbering only a few hundred. They resembled short, stocky humans and had unnaturally bright blond hair. "Why did we come to this horrible planet!" cried one. "Please be quiet" said a Big Brain, swooping down.

Tulbek watched them. "We should kill them!" she shouted. "Be quiet!" said Norine. "I don't like the look of those big brains. I think we should be..." "No need!" said the Doctor. "I know what to do." "I do not sense fear yet you do not want to fight them" said Tulbek. "You remind me of Leela" said the Doctor. "I had to tell her stabbing isn't always the best way! You just stay here and I'll sort it out." He started forward but turned round suddenly. "That means you Norine!" "I'm not scared of those big brains" said Norine. "Yes. But we don't know what they're like" said the Doctor. "Just stay here Clarke. And I mean it!"

The Doctor began to run down the mountain but fell over. He picked himself up and strolled down. The people looked at him in amazement and a Big Brain swooped in front of him. "Hello Big Brains!" said the Doctor. "Who are you?" he was asked in a calm telepathic voice. "I'm the..." "Doctor" replied the Big Brain. "Your species... is Time Lord!" "Yes! That!" said the Doctor. "You are an advanced race" said the Big Brain. "Would you know how to repair a spaceship?" "Depends on the spaceship. But I could probably do so" said the Doctor cheerfully. "Come with us!" said the Big Brain. "We need you to ready a spaceship." "Spaceship! I'm good with spaceships!" said the Doctor. His face took on a grim tone. "Except, you're the invaders. You just invaded this world and slaughtered a lot of innocent people." "That's true you big-headed monsters!" said an angry man, grabbing a crystal and hurling it at the Big Brain. The crystal stopped in mid-air and dropped to the ground. "Do not resist" said the Big Brain. "We are doing this for peace and order. We do not want to harm you."

Meanwhile the Swukains and human watched. "Why is he doing this?" asked Tulbek. "The Doctor likes getting involved" said Kafyip. "He has fought demons and monsters that would scare the bravest of Swukains." "I'll go down with him" said Norine. "He needs help getting out of trouble." She walked carefully down the mountain.

"Norine! I told you to stay!" said the Doctor angrily. "Who is she?" asked a Big Brain. "Travelling companion of mine!" said the Doctor. "I'm human, in case you want to know!" said Norine. "What was that about a spaceship?" "Of course! The spaceship!" said the Doctor. "You want me to get a spaceship ready. Why exactly?" "We want to take some of the Swukains away from the planet" said the Big Brain. "What for? Experimentation?" asked Norine. "For their protection" said the Big Brain. "We do not want the Swukains to be wiped out." "Sounds like a trick!" said the Doctor. "Don't like tricks. And often it ends with me out-tricking you!" "Just come to the ship. If you don't the Swukains will be under threat" said the Big Brain. "Alright. But if you try harming..." "We do not want to harm the Swukains" said the Big Brain. "Go to the ship." The Doctor walked towards the ship. He passed a crowd of Swukains and other people. "Who are they?" he asked. "The people of Crop" said a Big Brain. "They were colonising Grukup. They will also work on the telepathic crystal centres while they are here."

One of the colonists stepped forward. He was wearing a green band on his head and had neatly combed hair. "What are you asking for?" he asked. "You are the Leader?" asked a Big Brain. "I am Commander Uxdon of the 2nd Colonisation Company of the Crop United Monarchies" he said. "I demand you let us leave immediately!" "We will make an agreement with you!" said the Big Brain. "How many are your people?" "There are 283 Crop colonists" said Uxdon. "Your ship will the repaired" the Big Brain ordered. "You and all your people will be allowed to leave." "What is the catch?" asked Uxdon. "You must take some Swukains with you" said the Big Brain. "Why do you want to take us?" asked a Swukain. "You were happy to oppress and kill us!" "Those deaths were all necessary. Your race will be allowed to leave!" said the Big Brain. "You will decide the people among you once Uxdon finds how many can be taken."

The Doctor passed what looked like a huge gun. "What's that?" asked Norine. "Ion cannon" came the voice. "It has been disabled." The Doctor saw something on the ground nearby and ran over. "You will cease deviation" said the Big Brain. "Really?" said the Doctor. "It looks like one of you!" The being on the ground looked partially like a Big Brain, with the same skin and a huge head, though smaller than that of a Big Brain. One of its arms was horribly broken, the other had tendrils sticking out. There was a crack on the head and blood stains round it. The eyes were wide open. The Doctor closed the eyes and turned to the Big Brain. "It was not one of us" said the Big Brain.

"What is happening here?" said the Doctor. "You will not deviate from the path" said the Big Brain, somehow menace had seeped into the calm voice. "Come on Doctor" said Norine. "Alright!" replied the Doctor. "But I warn you that I will make whoever responsible sorry for attacking this world!" "That is improbable" said the Big Brain. "Improbable is my middle name!" said the Doctor. He pulled out a card saying John Improbable Smith. "Knew this card would come in…" A mental blast knocked the card away. "Come with us!" said the Big Brain. The Doctor put the card back in his coat and ran along crying "Come along Clarke! I can see the ship!"

The Doctor came to the ship, shaped like a boomerang and several hundred metres long. The Doctor ran up to the ship and scanned it. "Not in great shape!" he said. "Fission generators out of power. Hyper-drive field broken. Should take a week to get ready." "You will get it ready Doctor" came a calm voice. From over the ship came what looked like several Big Brains crudely stitched together, though without a chair. The Doctor felt a familiar aura of force. "The Omni-Mind!" he cried. "Yes Doctor" came the voice. "The Omni-Mind."

"How can you be here?" said the Doctor. "My physical form was destroyed but I am beyond physical boundaries" replied the Omni-Mind. "The form you built from the brains you stole" said the Doctor angrily. "The telepathic crystals enabled me to hold my form" the calm voice, though more brutal then the Big Brains, said. "As the 512s of years passed by I grew in strength. Finally I had enough power, but by then Grukup was inhabited by the Big Brains, who were far fewer in number. And I saw an opportunity to increase my power!" "How? You could disrupt the timeline!" said the Doctor. "You have done enough of that" replied the Omni-Mind. "Yes, but I'm a Professional!" replied the Doctor. A mental bolt struck him, leaving him briefly disorientated as the Omni-Mind replied.

"I have carefully planned this. The Swukains will not be destroyed. The telepathic crystals caused a weakness in the time vortex, which enabled me to navigate through time to this point, with enough controlled Big Brains to conquer this world." "So you want me to let the Swukains leave to prevent a paradox?" asked the Doctor. He glared at the Omni-Mind. "But that shouldn't happen. I'd prefer to just let the Swukains have this planet and let the Big Brains have Grukup when they are supposed to."

"I know how you lower beings think" said the Omni-Mind. "Remember, I accumulated many minds. If you do finish this ship I will eliminate this female." "What? No!" cried the Doctor. "And where is Kafyip?" asked the Omni-Mind. The Doctor, taken by the abrupt question, was unable to stop the location slipping from his mind. "Bring Kafyip here!" said the Omni-Mind. Two of the Big Brains hovered away. "You will begin work" said the Omni-Mind. "The Doctor isn't going too…" began Norine bravely, but she was hurled back with a yell. "Norine!" The Doctor ran over as Norine writhed on the ground. "I am peeling away the layers of her mind" said the Omni-Mind. "I will stop this once you begin work."

Kafyip sat on the mountain with Tulbek. "You lost your family to the Big Brains" he said. "What happened?" "It was at midday" replied Tulbek sadly. "We had just eaten. Then there was a flash of light near the Crystal Mountains. From there came countless 64s of Big Brains. They ordered us to begin working on the mountains. At this point 64s of us attacked. I was knocked down early in the fighting and soon after our forces surrendered. As we gathered the dead I found my brother with his head split open. And then I found… Big Brains!" she cried in a sudden panic. Kafyip turned and saw them flying towards him. "Stay back!" he cried, grabbing a rock. "We do not want to hurt you" came the calm telepathic voice. "You will come with us to the Omni-Mind." "The Omni-Mind!" cried Kafyip. "I thought it was destroyed before my parents were even born!" said Tulbek. "You will return to work" said a Big Brain, swooping down and sending a mental bolt that knocked her over. Kafyip was lifted into the air and pulled away.

"How is progress on the ship?" asked the Omni-Mind. "Not too difficult making this ship work!" said the Doctor. "Most difficult thing was to divert more energy to the warp-drive thrusters by turning of all unnecessary functions. Lost count of the number of times I've ended up working for something like you." "Be silent Doctor!" cried the Omni-Mind. "Silent? I don't like silence!" shouted the Doctor. "Just because you're a big brain doesn't mean you can command me! I've defeated better then you all my lives!" He was hurled back to the floor. The Doctor strained to rise but was unable to. "Doctor!" cried Norine, trying to run forward but being stopped by a mental bolt like it was a brick wall. "I can draw on the mental power of the Big Brains" said the Omni-Mind. "I can overwhelm you mentally." The Doctor and Norine were lifted into the air and shaken. "Careful! I'm not a milkshake!" cried the Doctor. "Well, milk as you wouldn't need to shake a milkshake!" "Stop this!" cried Norine. "I'm going to be sick!" "Don't worry Norine, it's going to be all right I promise!" said the Doctor. "It isn't that bad!" shouted Norine quickly.

The spinning ceased and they crashed to the ground. "Ride over already?" said the Doctor. "I'm complaining to the safety board…" said Norine. "I could crush you with ease!" cried the Omni-Mind. "I know that!" said the Doctor. "But you won't because..." He left the sentence open. "Your mind has such knowledge!" came the harsh voice. "That is a usual reason" said the Doctor. "Take them both out of sight of the lower beings!"

"Wait, you can't…" began the Doctor, but he and Norine were lifted up by two Big Brains and deposited a short distance away with incredible speed. The Doctor sprang up with incredible speed. "How can you recover so quickly?" asked Norine. "Used to this! And I'm a Time Lord!" cried the Doctor. "You will remain here" said the Big Brains. "OK! Just want to watch!" said the Doctor. "Doctor... Aren't you..." "Come on Clarke! It wasn't that bad!" said the Doctor, stepping over and pulling her up. Suddenly they saw a Swukain being lifted through the air towards them. "Kafyip!" cried the Doctor. The Swukain was thrown down. "What have you been doing?" asked the Doctor. "You can't treat people like that!" "I'm fine Doctor... I'm more concerned with the Omni-Mind!" shouted Kafyip angrily as the Omni-Mind floated over. "How many did you kill for that body?" asked Kafyip angrily. "I took it from 4 Big Brains already dead" replied the Omni-Mind. Kafyip glared at him. "You're still a Monster…" He gave a yell of pain. "I know Swukain minds! It would take a mere thought to shut your mind down so do not defy me!" said the Omni-Mind, the normally calm voice taking an angry tone. "Well, let's see what's happening at the ship!" said the Doctor, trying to sound cheerful. The TARDIS crew looked at the ship, and saw a crowd of Crop colonists and Swukains surrounding it. At the front was Uxdon, with a Big Brain hovering in front.

"You will enter the ship with the selected Swukains" said the Big Brain. "This isn't a trick!" said Uxdon. "Leave Grukup" said the Big Brain, with some menace. "Soon." "I'd like to be of also, but it seems too good to be true!" said the Commander. "If we wanted you destroyed we would have done so" replied the Big Brain. "Leave!" "Alright" said Uxdon. "I'll go first, and come out if it's all good." He walked cautiously into the ship. A few minutes later he ran out. "It's all good!" he cried. "We can leave this planet!" There were some cheers, though the crowd of Swukains generated a lot of sadness. "Just get in!" said Uxdon sternly. "Can't help everybody! And you'll all be given homes." Soon the crowd was all in, including hundreds of Swukains. The Ship lifted, a bit unsteadily. "Come on!" said the Doctor as the ship wobbled. It righted itself and shot away from the planet.

"Why have you allowed them to leave?" asked Norine. "You aren't planning to destroy them after all?" "That is not my intention" came the calm voice of the Omni-Mind. "I think I know" said the Doctor. "To maintain the timeline! He might be a reckless time traveller but even he has rules." "I am a being of order!" said the Omni-Mind. "I cannot disrupt history." "Why is this maintaining history? Is this a time loop like Terminator?" asked Norine. "I think this is an occasion where he knows the fixed point!" said the Doctor. "He's making sure it can happen either way."

"But why does he need this?" asked Norine. "Why is he so caring of the Swukains?" "I've worked it out!" said the Doctor. "Are you really sure Doctor?" said Kafyip. "You can read minds! You know it is" said the Doctor. "What? I'm a human!" said Norine. "Tell her Doctor" replied the Omni-Mind. "I know that in many 64s of generations the Swukain will evolve into the Big Brains, as they were when I was powerful enough to take control. I sense they have the potential to evolve much higher, and I will remain in control of them. If we do not leave any Swukains the Big Brains cannot develop. But if some escape, they will become the Big Brains! History will remain in place." "You'd still be disrupting history on a grand scale!" cried the Doctor.

"Your race understood time. Would this plan be possible Doctor?" asked the Omni-Mind, swooping in front of the Time Lord. "Do not bother trying to hide your thoughts." "Theoretically, it could work..." said the Doctor. "This period is in flux. But the consequences..." "What exactly are you talking about? What will happen to Grukup?" asked Kafyip. "The telepathic crystals will place the entire planet under my command" replied the Omni-Mind, its voice sounding arrogant. "The people will be quick-evolved into a new race!" "I'm not great at biology but I don't think evolution works like that!" said Norine. "You know biology?" said the Doctor. "Yes! A bit. Just because I was unemployed doesn't mean I'm an idiot!" said Norine angrily. "So that thing we saw earlier was an attempt to quick-evolve?" said the Doctor. "Didn't seem to work that well." "It was unsuccessful. Far greater telepathic force is needed for quick-evolving minds" said the Omni-Mind. "And what will you do with these Big Brains?" asked the Doctor. "We will open up the time rift again to our native time" continued the Omni-Mind rising into the air, "where my swarm of Big Brains will enable me to become the Omni-Mind of the Universe!"

"Norine and Kafyip, get over there quick as you can!" yelled the Doctor suddenly, pointing behind him. "Just do it!" As the two ran away the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and spun round, pointing it at the Big Brains. "What is that?" asked the Omni-Mind. "A sonic blaster!" cried the Big Brains. They retreated from round the Doctor. "That's right, be afraid! I can blast you all to bits!" cried the Doctor. Norine watched from a distance. She knew the Doctor must be hiding his thoughts somehow and was worried of coming over in case the Big Brains read her mind and realised he was lying. The Doctor grabbed her hand and ran away. Some Big Brains began to hover after them but a cry of "Stay back!" and wave of the sonic screwdriver caused them to stop.

They were several hundred metres away when Kafyip fell. Norine tried to pull him up, but Kafyip couldn't move forward. "I… can't! The Omni-Mind… is holding me! I feel my head will split…" "You can do this!" said the Doctor. He put his fingers on Kafyip's head and closed his eyes. Then the Swukain and Time Lord screamed. "Just leave me! Do it!" shouted Kafyip. "We'll come back for you I promise!" said the Doctor, as he and Norine ran on. "I know you will!" said Kafyip.

As they passed the piles of crystals the Doctor picked a few up. "Why do you need those?" asked Norine. "I'll explain later" replied the Doctor. As they neared the TARDIS Tulbek ran over. "I saw the Big Brains take Kafyip!" she said. The Doctor looked uneasy. "He… didn't…" "Escape. How did you escape the Big Brains?" she asked. "Just a bit of mental blockage!" said the Doctor. "Difficult but I could think false thoughts to hide the truth. Does give me quite a headache and takes months to master! But when you've been practising deception for centuries…" "We get it. What are you planning now Doctor?" asked Norine. "Well, it seems the Big Brains aren't really bad" said the Doctor. "Not really bad?" said Tulbek. "They killed 512s of us! They have made us slaves!" "They are being controlled" said the Doctor. "The problem with being really telepathic is it opens the door to all sorts of telepathic nasties. Saw it happen with the Ood." "The what?" asked Norine. "Telepathic aliens, I'll explain later" said the Doctor.

"What is the plan again?" Tulbek reminded the Doctor. "Well, just need to break the control which is being amplified by the telepathic crystals" said the Doctor as he opened the TARDIS door. "Need alone time to work!" He ran into the TARDIS, slamming the door. Tulbek looked astonished. "That box… is it some sort of illusion?" she asked. "I first thought that as well" smiled Norine.

The Doctor came out a moment later holding a large piece of metal with a telepathic crystal attached to it. "Is that a telepathic weapon?" asked Norine. "No! It's a telepathy blocker!" said the Doctor, putting it on. "Now, what am I thinking?" "You look dreadful in that" said Norine. "I thought this was supposed to block thoughts!" said the Doctor. "Elementary Doctor" said Norine in a posh voice. "You really like hats." "She could not really read your mind" said Tulbek. "Right, so it does block thoughts" said the Doctor. "Now, here is my plan."

"That is your plan?" said Norine a moment later. "A lot is left to the will of fortune" said Tulbek. "Well, so are a lot of plans!" said the Doctor. "And mine generally succeed." "You are a fortunate man" said Tulbek. Maybe the Universe likes me! I've done a lot for it" replied the Doctor. "Won't you need another hat?" asked Norine. "I'm sure I can block my thoughts well enough!" said the Doctor. He took the hat off and placed it on Norine's head. Norine felt stupid wearing the telepathy blocker. "I feel like a conspiracy theorist!" she muttered. "It was your idea to distract them!" said the Doctor. "And some of my friends are conspiracy theorists! Just do this and you'll save everybody! I hope."

Kafyip fell to the ground screaming as the Omni-Mind loomed over him and delved into his mind. He heard their voice booming out. "I know your mind though it was a long time ago we joined. This time, you will not escape. Your mind will be dispersed within me! Your body will become an extension of me!" "You won't take over my race you Monster!" cried Kafyip. "Why do you resist me?" asked the Omni-Mind. "You are a tyrant…" The Swukain screamed again. "My rule benefits the Big Brains" replied the Omni-Mind. "Without me they could not lift themselves with mental force. I am the focus that brings about mind over matter. Under me your race will become the greatest of all. A race of Higher Beings, moving across the Galaxy like you walk across your world!"

Tulbek ran over to the Ion cannon. "Over here!" cried Norine. 4 of the Big Brains swooped down. "You will stop" they said. "Or we will be forced to use force." There was a loud bang behind them and a flash of light. Norine smiled. "Distraction! Oldest trick!" she said. There was a flash of light and she was hurled back, her metal hat flying off. She felt all feeling flowing out, like water. Her body was no longer hers. She could barely even speak against this force. Flashing lights formed around her and she could hear a mass of voices, like a huge crowd thinking out loud. Then there was a loud bang and a flash of light. Norine could see again and saw the mountain of telepathic crystals being torn apart.

The Doctor materialised the TARDIS less than a hundred metres from where he had left Kafyip and stepped out to see the Omni-Mind looming over Kafyip. The Swukain stood. "I could take your TARDIS Doctor!" said the Omni-Mind, using Kafyip's mouth. "None would stop me!" The voice was blankly stoic, with occasional flashes of madness. It sounded very unsettling. "Nothing in the world can stop me now!" cried the Doctor in a ridiculously hammy way. "I've heard that too many times for that to have much effect!" "What do you propose to do?" asked the Omni-Mind, with moments of mirth. "Your mind is closed. You are hiding something." "Hiding? Well... Of course I have a plan!" said the Doctor, talking dramatically. "A plan..." "You cannot fool me" said the Omni-Mind, giving an ugly sneer with Kafyip's face. It looked very unlike Kafyip. "And don't bother asking this Swukain to fight me. I rule thousands of more advanced minds." Suddenly Kafyip staggered back horrified. "What!" Tulbek turned to see a flock of Big Brains flying towards them, Norine and Tulbek with them.

"Just as I thought!" cried the Doctor. "Telepathic Mountain shattered while you were delving into Kafyip's mind! Control broken! I think the Big Brains know enough to resist you!" "No! I am the ruler of Grukup and all its life!" cried the Omni-Mind, the voice rising in pitch. "You like shouting a lot!" said Norine. "We will return to our era" said the Big Brains. "You will come with us." "You can't do that!" snarled the Omni-Mind. "It required all the remaining telepathic crystals to pull us back! Without my knowledge of space-time you won't be able to return me."

"But they have someone with even better knowledge of space-time! Me!" said the Doctor. Kafyip gave a snarl and ran at him. But a mental blast hurled him over. "Careful! He is being controlled" said the Doctor. 4 Big Brains descended on Kafyip and the Omni-Mind, holding them down. "Let me go!" cried the Omni-Mind. "I made you like this! I could make you…" "No time for that!" shouted the Doctor as he opened the TARDIS doors. "Just bring him inside! I'll bring you back to your own time!" He sighed. "Missed an opportunity to say Back to the Future." "What?" asked Tulbek. "Earth joke!" said the Doctor. "Inside!" The 4 Big Brains forced the struggling Kafyip inside. Tulbek and Norine ran in after them, followed by the Doctor.

"Yes, it's bigger on the inside!" the Doctor told Tulbek. "Just need to home in on the recent time trace…" The TARDIS was hurled into the future. "Full speed!" cried the Doctor, pulling levers manically. "Sorry old girl, need to get there!" The TARDIS materialised.

"The native era of the Big Brains!" cried the Doctor, opening the doors. "Oh no!" cried Norine, stepping out and finding himself knee-deep in water. She leapt inside, the Doctor closing the doors. "Sorry about the water all over the floor" he said. "I don't mind…" began Norine. "Wasn't talking to you! Just turn on the scanner!" said the Doctor. Tulbek and Norine saw the Crystal Mountains had collapsed and were largely under water. "Temperature's higher. And one of the three moons is gone." "This is what becomes of my world" said Tulbek in horror. "Well, it's thousands of years later" said the Doctor. "We need to get out!" cried the Big Brains as Kafyip writhed in their grip. The Doctor opened the doors, water cascading in. Kafyip staggered out, with the four Big Brains still round him. "You can get that Omni-Mind out!" said the Doctor. There was a cry from Kafyip and he collapsed. The Doctor ran out and pulled him in, while the Big Brains spun round wildly, holding the Omni-Mind's form as it fell apart. "Just hold on for a moment!" cried the Doctor, closing the doors.

"Can't you materialise somewhere else?" asked Norine. "Should get you somewhere safe…" "No! I don't want you to leave!" cried Norine. The Doctor checked the scanner. "Just four kilometres away, should be dry!" said the Doctor. "Wait here!" said the Doctor to Kafyip and Tulbek. "What I'm doing is very dangerous but it might just work! So you all need to get out of the TARDIS." "You can't leave us here!" said Norine. "Alright! In here!" said the Time Lord. "Hurry Doctor!" cried the Big Brains as they held the Omni-Mind, shouting with such telepathic force that the Doctor staggered. "He's trying to absorb us!"

The TARDIS materialised. "Just need you to get out for a moment!" said the Doctor, opening the doors. Kafyip tried to stand up, but wobbled and would have fallen if Tulbek hadn't grabbed him. "Doctor!" cried the Big Brains, generating a feeling of fear as the Omni-Mind almost broke free. "Help him out!" said the Doctor. "Quickly!" Tulbek and Norine helped Kafyip out of the TARDIS. Immediately the door slammed. "Hey!" cried Norine, hitting the doors as the TARDIS dematerialised. She turned round angrily. "You can read minds! Why didn't you tell me?" said Norine, rounding on Kafyip. "The Doctor knew you wouldn't leave" said Kafyip. "This is for your own good."

Thousands of years later the TARDIS flew into the upper atmosphere of the planet. "Just need to calculate this right!" cried the Doctor. He telepathically heard the High Minds straining to hold the shrieking Omni-Mind, although by now many times the original number was trying. "Just need to produce the same energy signature as the Unverse energy!" shouted the Doctor. "Manipulate the Time Vortex again!" The TARDIS rolled over in space and there were several explosions, throwing the Doctor from his feet. He jumped up again and pulled a lever so hard it came off. "Sorry old girl but come on! You're the best ship in the Universe! And Unverse! You got through the Unverse before!" cried the Doctor. "You'll just be scraping the skin this time! And you don't want the Omni-Mind to try changing history?" The TARDIS shook violently as it struck the walls of reality, helped by the Unverse energy being attracted to the whole. Briefly it opened. "Now!" cried the Doctor. The Omni-Mind, on a wave of energy from hundreds of Big Brains, was sent screaming into the Unverse. Within half a second the door outside the Universe closed.

The TARDIS materialised on Grukup and the Doctor jumped out. "Ha! Looks like that Omni-Mind couldn't face one Time Lord!" The Big Brains flew over. "Thank you for exposing the Omni-Mind to us Doctor" they said. "Oh, glad to be of help!" said the Doctor. "It looks like the Omni-Mind might be the first inmate of the Unverse!" "The Unverse?" questioned a Big Brain. "I've been in the far future!" said the Doctor. "Don't ask." "We will rebuild our society on our own" said the Big Brain. "Our gratitude is with you Doctor, Lord of Time. We are sorry for the deaths we caused while invading Grukup in the past but the Omni-Mind was controlling us." "Well with your greater telepathy it wasn't too difficult for it to take over" said the Doctor. "Hopefully it won't happen again." "We will devote ourselves to spreading peace as we originally did" said the Big Brains as the Doctor stepped back into the TARDIS and waved wildly. "Bye Big Brains!" he cried. He heard many telepathic voices in his mind, thanking him as he dematerialised the TARDIS.

He stepped out of the TARDIS to see Norine, Tulbek and Kafyip, who was still unsteady and being held up by Tulbek. "Hello! Got the right year?" he said hopefully. "You tricked me!" cried Norine, running over in a fury. "I could have been stuck here!" "It isn't that bad here" said the Doctor. "Well yes but I wouldn't want to be stuck here!" said Norine. "I had to make sure the Omni-Mind was imprisoned. If it had got free it could have followed me back through time and tried again!" "Don't be angry at the Doctor" said Tulbek calmly. "The Omni-Mind is imprisoned." "Where?" asked Norine. "The Unverse" replied Kafyip. "First convict there!" said the Doctor. "He'll end up imprisoned there with quite a few other horrors!" "Like that big mouth and the creature you had to chant to get rid of." Kafyip shuddered. "Do not talk of that demon."

"How are we to return to our time?" asked the Big Brains. "Most reliable idea is to use the TARDIS taxi service!" said the Doctor. He opened the door. "All aboard!" "I'll stay here Doctor. TARDIS might get crowded!" smiled Norine as Big Brains flew inside. "All here?" asked the Doctor. "Good!" The door closed and the TARDIS dematerialised. "This is an incredible machine…" began Tulbek but the TARDIS materialised again. The Doctor stepped out. "Same day again! Well done old thing." He patted the TARDIS.

"So, time to leave?" said Norine. " Kafyip?" asked the Doctor. "I am not going back" said Kafyip. "What? Why?" asked the Doctor in amazement. "What is wrong with travelling across the Universe, seeing the stars, fighting Monsters…" "That's it! The Monsters!" said Kafyip. "Those Big Brains reminded me of the horrors we have faced across the Universe. I'd prefer to stay here. And I need to recover from what happened!" "But where will you go?" asked Norine. "From the sound of it you are back a lifetime late." "I'm sorry! It was the old girl!" said the Doctor. "She takes me where I need to be! And I certainly needed to be here!" "I can let you stay with me" said Tulbek. "You seem nice enough." Kafyip smiled. "I will enjoy staying with you." "I'll leave you to your… Swukain stuff" said the Doctor. "I'll just go back to the TARDIS with Norine." He began walking away, followed by Norine. "Bye Kaf" she said. "Bye…" the Doctor said uneasily, moving away a bit quicker.

The Doctor and Norine entered the TARDIS. "You're not good at saying goodbyes" said Norine. "It's hard experiencing endings" said the Doctor. "I don't look forward to my own." He pulled a few levers and the familiar dematerialisation sound began again. There was a jolt and the TARDIS stopped abruptly. "What's happened?" asked Norine. The Doctor looked at the readings. "Pretty odd. We seem to have jumped forward a year." He clapped his hands together. "Well, better see what this world is like now."

He bounced out of the TARDIS and came face to face with Kafyip, who was wearing a necklace of beads and standing in front of a partially-completed building. "Doctor!" he said amazed. "Oh. Hello Kafyip" said the Doctor. "Fancy meeting you again…" Kafyip looked behind him at the building. "You've arrived at the convenient time" he said. "My joining ceremony is in 5 days." "What?" said Norine amazed. "A joining ceremony is where two Swukain who have shared their minds decide to join together surrounded by their community" said Kafyip. "Me and Tulbek got on really well. We shared our minds. Now we are ready to share more." "So this is a wedding?" asked Norine. Kafyip read her mind. "This wedding appears to be your culture's equivalent of a joining" he said. "But… you barely know each other!" said Norine. "It's like one of those films…" "You left last year" said Kafyip. "But I am happy you showed up. I was wondering if you, Doctor, could perform a favour for me. Could you be my sponsor in the ceremony?"

"What's that?" asked the Doctor. "It isn't one of those people who have to make long speeches…" "No. In a joining of my people both the participants have to have a sponsor, to guarantee that they should be together. Generally it is a parent. But my parents died long ago. Tulbek is having her cousin Durbcet be her sponsor." "Isn't that a bit restrictive?" asked Norine. "I think the measure was put in to stop young Swukains rushing into marriage" said Kafyip. "Anyway, will you do this Doctor?" "I'm not great at weddings" said the Doctor. "Especially my own. But I loved the last legitimate wedding I went to." "Are we going to go forward 5 days then?" said Norine. "The TARDIS is making herself easy to steer" said the Doctor. "I think we can manage." "I'll hope you can" replied Kafyip. "So you get the right time I will tell you it will be late in the day."

The Doctor and Norine stepped into the TARDIS which began its trip. "Just set the TARDIS to take a while" said the Doctor, setting the controls. "Need to be in my best clothes!" Norine looked at her jeans, T-shirt, and green jacket. "I think I'm fine like this" she said as the Doctor ran upstairs. The Doctor came back a few minutes later wearing a top hat and tails. "Top hats are cool!" he said. The TARDIS landed and the Doctor opened the doors to see a smiling Kafyip and Tulbek. "Thank the Powers you got here" said Kafyip. "And it is only morning" said Tulbek.

The joining ceremony went well. The Doctor even gave a speech, though Norine felt that most of the people there didn't understand what he was talking about when he mentioned the Green Moon and Ruwilen. The Doctor then did a bizarre dance. "Want to see the TARDIS again?" he asked to the joined couple once the party was over. "I'd love to!" replied Tulbek. The two entered the TARDIS.

"Still incredible" said Tulbek. "Kafyip is right. The ship is very telepathic." "One trip?" asked the Doctor. Tulbek smiled. "I've heard how unreliable your TARDIS is." "Unreliable?" said the Doctor. He stroked the console. "She didn't mean it old girl. She takes me where I need to go!" "I think Tulbek and I would like to leave" said Kafyip. "We have… things to join." "Private Swukain stuff" said the Doctor. "Well, better get out of the TARDIS then!" He waved to them as they left. "Bye!" said the Doctor. "Nice seeing you." "The pleasure was ours" said Tulbek. "Thank you for being sponsor" said Kafyip. "Bye! Hope to see you again" said Norine. "Yes" said the Doctor quietly. They waved as the two entered a small house. The Doctor closed the door, with a mixture of sadness and happiness on his face, and dematerialised.

"Why do you look like that?" asked Norine. "Someone else leaving me" said the Doctor. "Everybody leaves in the end." "But they were happy" said Norine. "Yes" said the Doctor. "Happy." "So people haven't always left you happy?" said Norine. "Sometimes" said the Doctor. "Katarina, Sara…" He sighed. "And there are others who left because they didn't like this life. Victoria...Tegan..." He stopped. "And those I had to make leave. Susan…Donna…" He stopped again and smiled. "But she ended happily. Like Ian and Barbara, Ben and Polly…" "I think that's enough name-dropping" said Norine. "Well at least you're here!" said the Doctor. He looked up at the TARDIS central column. "And at least I have you." He ran round the console, trying to think of somewhere to go that could take his mind of Kafyip's departure. A thought struck him. "The Swukains... The Unverse. I know this is before the High Minds. Looks like I know what they evolved from! And they kept using the Unverse as a prison." He smiled. "History in the making!"

"Where are we going next?" asked Norine. "Mars?" "Want to visit the low-gravity gym?" asked the Doctor. "I suppose so" said Norine. "But is there anything else?" "I know just the right time to go!" said the Doctor. He pulled the levers and the TARDIS was set on another course. "I hope I don't end up on the Moon this time." "What sort of place are we going to?" asked Norine. "It's this great amusement park. I've been 3 times before. Always enjoyable. Have the best chocolate drinks in the solar system" said the Doctor excitedly. The TARDIS again hurtled through the void. The Doctor had known that Kafyip would eventually leave, and knew that eventually Norine would leave. But at least Kafyip had left happy. The Doctor hoped the same thing would happen to Norine. But now she was here and they could enjoy themselves together.


End file.
